#muggle au marauders

[mrstellmeafuckingsecret]

an incomplete list of my hced modern!muggle!au sirius black jobs !!!

neurosurgeon

nuclear physicist

mechanic

highschool maths teacher

make up artist

quantum physics professor

tattoo artist

criminal lawyer

artist (guitarist/vocalist/violinist/pianist)

f1 driver

bartender

forensic phycologist

vet

parkour instructor

runway model

crime scene investigator

landlord

prisonor reform advocate

[twink-remus-lupin]

youtuber au

remus runs a book review channel that has slowly been turning into a drama and rant channel

sirius and james run a joint prank channel but it’s significantly more humane than most of the popular ones (they also mostly prank each other and nothing is staged)

lily runs a true crime channel that collabs with remus frequently for special horror episodes

peter is a gamer and actually has the most subscribers out of all of them for his valorant streams

snape has multiple hate blogs for each of them

[mischievousmoony]

𝚍𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚣𝚎𝚛𝚘

⟢ frat boy!james potter x fem!reader ⟢ a guy makes unwanted advances on you at a frat party, and the president comes to your aid ⊹ 3.0k ⟢ warnings/tags: alcohol, unwanted advances + touching and sexist comments from another character, james gets aggressive confronting said character, american!james hehehe (not that it's explicitly stated)

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

By your third visit to the crowded, beer-scented kitchen, your features have set into a deep scowl. You groan, slumping against the wall—only to immediately push yourself off, unwilling to let the exposed skin of your back come into contact with any part of the frat house you're in. Was the wall sticky, or have you started sweating from the heat of all the drunk bodies around you? Either option makes you cringe.

Tonight was supposed to be fun. Frat parties weren’t exactly your ideal night out, but your best friend had dragged you to this one with the promise of a fun time. But your night has quickly turned into a wild goose chase after she disappeared with some guy.

"Are you okay?" a voice calls from your left, barely audible over the music that's starting to make your head pound. You realize that you had started pinching the bridge of your nose. When you lower your hand and turn your head, you find a pair of kind eyes staring down at you.

He introduces himself as Todd after you explain that you've been looking for your friend for half an hour to no avail. With a sympathetic smile, he offers to help, which you gratefully accept. Anything to find your friend and put this dreadful night to an end.

"Are you, like, one of the brothers?" you ask, noticing the letters on Todd's cap as you follow him through the house, but it's a little too dark to make them out. Not to mention, you don't really remember which fraternity your friend even brought you to tonight.

"Nah," Todd shouts over his shoulder. "Not here." He doesn't provide any more information than that as he changes the subject, suggesting the two of you search the backyard.

"I thought the yard was off limits,” you shout as you speed walk to catch up with him. He’s walking so fast that you barely have time to consider why he would think your friend would be outside.

Stepping into the cold, he explains, "Apparently their neighbors complained about the noise last weekend, so they're trying to keep the party inside. But a couple of quiet people shouldn't be an issue. It's nice to be away from all the noise, eh?"

You shudder when the night air hits you, hugging your arms around yourself tightly and attempting to smooth away the goosebumps already prickling on your skin.

"Maybe if it wasn't freezing."

You look around at the back yard, finding it completely empty except for a thin layer of fallen leaves and scattered beer bottles hidden in the uncut grass. Todd is leading you straight across the lawn, farther away from the house and any source of light. You’re starting to get a weird feeling about this—and Todd—so you slow to a stop while he continues to head deeper into the darkness.

"Hey, I don't think my friend is gonna be out here. I'm gonna keep looking inside–"

"What's the rush?" Todd's demeanor changes when he notices you’re falling behind. He quickly closes the distance between the two of you again in two strides.

You release a dry laugh, realizing that you've been too trusting, and your tone turns serious. "I should really find my friend."

"You said she was with a guy, right? C'mon just let her have her fun." Todd drops his voice an octave, trying to sound seductive, but it comes across embarrassingly forced. "Maybe we can have some fun too."

When he reaches to touch the side of your face, your mood starts to change from a little let down and slightly annoyed to seriously pissed off.

"Don't," you say coldly, jerking your head away from his touch.

"Aw, c'mon," he continues to try to coax you, still somehow thinking he has a chance at convincing you. When his fingers graze your sides, you shout at him to keep his hands off, but instead, he slides them to your waist, holding you firmly.

"Let go!" you demand, planting you hands firmly on his shoulders and pushing. He chuckles at your feeble attempts, making you angrier, so you switch tactics. You wrap your hands around his wrists and pry his hands off, applying a pressure to the inside of his wrists that makes him release you with a hiss.

There's an angry voice in the distance shouting "Hey!" presumably at the two of you. You hear the steady sound of footsteps growing louder—one of the brothers probably coming to yell at you for sneaking into their backyard. You're a little too busy to care as you stomp away from Todd.

Todd doesn’t seem to notice the newcomer either. Too absorbed in the sting of your rejection, he starts getting angry too.

"Don't be such a prude," he snaps. He catches your wrist and pulls you back to him with a swift tug, spinning you around to face him. You draw your free arm back, using the extra momentum from the spin to your advantage as you punch him squarely in the jaw.

The punch throws him off balance, sending him stumbling back. His foot catches on an empty beer bottle, twisting his ankle as he loses his footing and crashes onto the grass with a heavy thud.

You stand above him, a little stunned at your actions. Todd is whining pathetically about the pain from the punch to his face, and the pain from the fall to his ass.

Someone jogs up beside you, and you can feel their gaze darting back and forth between you and Todd.

"Nice punch," he says, a little out of breath.

"Thanks," you reply flatly, only now starting to process that you—with the help of a beer bottle—sent this man tumbling to the ground.

"Alright," the mystery man says like he's about to get to work. He steps into your line of sight, looming over Todd for a moment.

He has a mop of dark curls spilling out from under a red baseball cap sitting backwards on his head. The cap matches his letterman-style jacket, which clings to his broad frame, drawing attention to his muscular body. Under different circumstances, this is a view you’d appreciate.

He bends down and grabs Todd by the collar of his shirt, roughly pulling him to his feet. Even with both of them standing, he still towers over him.

"Hey, man. What's up?" he asks Todd, his casual words contrasting with his abrasive tone.

"That slut just punched me!" Todd shrieks.

You roll your eyes. How pathetic.

He tightens his grip on Todd's shirt collar, using it to shake him roughly. "Watch your fucking mouth or I'll be the next," he threatens, and Todd goes quiet.

Your eyes widen at his sudden sharpness. Almost involuntary, you shift your position, angling yourself to get a clear look at the boy’s face. Black rimmed glasses sit lazily on the bridge of his nose, under his furrowed brow as he glares daggers at Todd. His eyes are big and brown, almost seeming out of place against the hard scowl carved into his features.

"Here's what's gonna happen," he continues. "First, you’re blacklisted. You’re never stepping foot in my house again. And what's this?"

He plucks Todd's hat off his head, inspecting the letters with a scoff before tossing it to the ground. "Of course. I'm sure nationals will be happy to hear about how you've conducted yourself tonight."

Todd's eye twitches at the threat. "Let's not pretend I was doing anything she didn’t want. Look at the way she’s dressed—flaunting herself, just begging for attention."

"What did you just say?" he seethes.

"James, c'mon," Todd says, revealing the name of the taller boy. He speaks with a nonchalance that makes James' nostrils flare, angered by his dismissiveness of the situation.

You begin to wonder how they know each other when James sets him straight.

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to? My friends call me James, you don't get to call me shit. The fuck do you think this is, man? I catch you in my backyard putting your hands on a girl who clearly doesn't want anything to do with you and you think you can talk to me like we're friends? I don't even know who the hell you are."

Your eyes must be bulging out of your head by now. It feels like you’ve been dropped into a scene from a movie—an exposé on the dark side of greek life, or maybe the mafia. Not knowing much about either, it’s hard to say, but the backward hats and pounding music from the house quickly remind you of where you are.

James lowers his voice, his tone dipping into something almost menacing. "But I’ll find out from your brothers, and when I do, you’re finished here. Done. Now come on."

Todd flinches as one of James' hands clasps over the back of his neck with a sharp smack. There were some other guys you hadn't noticed before back near the house, to whom James hands Todd over.

Once James notices that you're still standing in the middle of the yard, he jogs back over. On his way, he takes off his hat, running his fingers through his hair to loosen his curls.

"Hey," he says in a soft voice, vastly different from the one he used on Todd. "Are you okay?"

The change in his demeanor catches you off guard. You exhale while you collect your thoughts, a steamy white cloud filling the space as your warm breath meets cool air.

"That was intense," you say. You don’t mean to dodge his question, but he did just switch from mafia boss levels of threatening to sunshine and rainbows.

James breathes out a laugh. "Sorry about that. Gotta be a hardass with some of these dicks, especially ones like that. Part of the job."

You raise an eyebrow, curiosity piqued, wondering what job he's talking about.

James reads your expression, and stands up a little straighter as he introduces himself. "President James, at your service." With an exaggerated wink, he tugs at the edge of his jacket, pulling it taut to show off the letters sewn over his chest.

You nod in understanding. "Well, thank you for stepping in, Mr. President," you say, a slight tease coloring your tone.

A smile like sunshine overtakes his lips. "No need to thank me, really. Anyway, you handled it pretty well before I got here. That was some punch—is your hand alright?"

You had forgotten about that. Splaying your fingers out in front of you, you inspect your knuckles. "Mhm. Fine. I don't think I can feel my limbs anyway." You wrap your arms back around yourself, the cold become almost unbearable in your tank top.

"Shit, yeah, it's cold out here, isn't it?" James holds his hat between his teeth, freeing his hands as he strips off his jacket. Your eyes linger on his toned arms for a moment too long, and suddenly his hat has made its way back onto his head and he's holding his jacket out for you.

"May I?" he asks.

As much as you want to say no, you truly are freezing, so you let yourself be draped in his warmth and the scent of his cologne. The fabric has an unexpected weight to it, almost offering a comfort similar to an embrace.

James rubs his hands up and down over newly blanketed arms to encourage some warmth into them. James studies your face with softened eyes, his tone taking on a more serious note.

"Hey, listen... I'm really sorry that happened to you. Everything he said, and did–"

"It's alright," you interrupt.

"It's not. That shouldn't be happening. Not at my house—not anywhere. I'm really sorry you had to deal with that creep. And if you wanted to take it to the school, I'd be more than willing to–"

"No, no. That's more trouble than he's worth."

James nods, respecting your decision. "For what it's worth, I'm gonna make sure he won't be allowed in any of the parties around here anymore. I doubt I can get him completely blackballed, but I'll do what I can."

You offer James a small smile in response. You're glad to hear that, really, but now that Todd's gone and that's all over, your main concern is finding your friend and getting the hell out of here.

"Why don't you let me give you a ride home?" he offers, almost like he can read your mind. His kind, brown eyes almost make you want to say yes. But after the night you've had, you owe it to yourself to be a little less trusting.

"I don't know." You bite the inside of your cheek while you decide if you should disclose your current dilemma. James does seem eager to help. Deciding to tell him, you say, "I was looking for my friend."

James is quick to offer his assistance. "Who's your friend? Maybe I can help."

You tell him your friends name and recount what she was doing when you saw her last. "She ran off with this guy. Long black hair, leather jacket, I think I heard his name but it was something... unique."

James sucks in a breath through his teeth. "Sounds like Sirius."

"Sirius, yes! That was his name." You're momentarily excited, thinking that James could actually help, but the look on his face squashes the feeling promptly.

"Yeah, uh," James scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, "Sirius left with a girl like an hour ago. About yay high," he holds his hand out to your friend's height. "Tan. Brown hair."

You sigh. Some best friend you have. Here you are, searching for her endlessly, and she's ditched you at the party she brought you to.

"She was your ride, I’m guessing?" The corner of James' lip quirks up in a sorry half-smile as you nod. "It really is no trouble for me to drive you home."

You tap your foot on the ground anxiously. You're really wanting to just accept his offer. He seems nice enough, but there's still a little voice in the back of your mind telling you to be careful.

"I just... I don't really know you."

"Understandable," James starts. "But... you kinda do. I'm pretty sure we have chem together."

"I don't think so." You think you’d remember a muscly, likely rambunctious, frat boy in your boring chem class.

"Okay, I was playing it cool,” James’ teeth graze his lower lip in a bashful manner. “I know we have Chem together—with Professor Brown? Tuesdays and Thursdays. You sit in the front row. Y/N, right?" James looks a little sheepish as he recalls your name.

You nod slowly, really looking at James for the first time, trying to place him. Then it hits you—you do remember him. He sits a few seats down from you in chem, always rigorously taking notes and asking questions you wouldn’t have thought of (but are glad to have the answers to). Seeing him like this, though, is such a contrast to the smart guy from class that you didn’t even recognize him at first.

You feel a heat creep up the back of your neck. You’ve only ever spared him a few glances, but you’ve always thought the smart guy from chem was pretty cute.

"Oh. Oh, right. I–I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. You're James Potter." You try the name on your lips, realizing the name didn't click because you had only ever heard your professor call him by his last name.

"That's me," he grins. "And don't worry about it."

You give him a nod, a bit awkwardly. He seems like a good guy, but you’re still not sure if you want to get in his car. "Well, James, I should probably just call an Uber or something anyway. I don't know if you've been drinking or anything so..."

"Oh!" James holds up a finger, stuffing his other hand into his pocket and pulling out a black rectangle. You mistake it for one of those big, clunky box vapes and almost want to roll your eyes. But then, James surprises you by blowing into it instead of breathing in.

The device beeps, and he shows you the little digital screen, previously hidden behind his hand, that reads "0.00" over a glowing green background.

"Haven't had a drop," he confirms. "I haven't smoked or anything else, either. Not my thing."

"Why do you own a breathalyzer?" you ask, a little dumbfounded.

"So I can breathalyze people," he shrugs, fiddling with the device—tossing it a few inches up in the air and catching it.

You raise your eyebrows at him, not satisfied with his non-answer.

“Sorry,” James chuckles at himself. "Uh, I have a lot of people leaving my parties trying to tell me they're sober enough to drive. I got loads of these ‘cause they can't argue with the numbers... as much as they might try to."

"Where did you even get that?" you ask. You can't imagine there's a very big market for personal breathalyzers.

"You can get almost anything with Prime delivery!" he says it like he's proud as he tucks it back into his pocket. "Hey, you want one? I've got a drawer full back in the house." He points with his thumb over his shoulder.

You laugh, shaking your head at his offer. James laughs along with you, his lips curling into a boyish grin.

Well, if you’re going to put your trust in anyone else tonight it, it might as well be the smart boy from chem who takes safety seriously enough to own multiple breathalyzers.

You start walking towards the house. When you don’t hear a set of footsteps following behind, you call over your shoulder, "Come on."

James catches up quickly, happy to be invited to join you. "Where are we going?"

"To your car so you can give me a ride home."

From the corner of your eye, you watch his face break out into a wide grin. And from there on out, there's an extra pep in his step as he leads you to his car.

When you're safe and sound, back in the comfort of your own room, you flop onto your bed with a dreamy look on your face. You hug the jacket closer to your body, thankful for the excuse to talk to him in chem on Tuesday. Little did you know, he let you keep the jacket so that you'd have one.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

[moonyslunatic]

Psychologist Remus Lupin starts therapy sessions with playboy Sirius Black who's being forced into treatment by his remarkably better centered younger brother. Remus isn't very keen on taking over this high-profile patient (who's also known to be a jerk in the media) , BUT a) he's not one to turn down a case; and b) he's drowning in medical debts and the Black family is willing to pay very well Sirius basically lives in hotels, never settles down in one city, does drugs and parties and fucks random dudes as if it's second nature. He races sports cars, likes borderline suicidal speeds just to get that feeling when life's hanging by a thread and everything suddenly feels real. When he nearly overdoses, Regulus (who manages the family fortune after their parents' death) and James (Sirius' childhood bff who doesn't recognise his friend anymore) join forces to plan an intervention. Sirius gets grounded in England and has to choose between going straight to rehab or trying out therapy first. He chooses the latter, but doesn't think he needs help, so he treats the whole affair as a joke, being highly elusive and sardonic during sessions At first Remus makes little of him besides the fact that Sirius is probably the most handsome man he's ever laid eyes upon, but Sirius a nice challenge to unravel Sirius tolerates the sessions for the sake of Reg letting him keep his credit lines, but then he starts to kind of look forward to the weekly encounters with this cute, super smart, kind of condescending therapist who doesn't seem to give a fuck about who he is To everyone's surprise, Sirius actually starts to get better and see the points Remus is trying to make Remus panics when he realises he looks forward to sessions with this particular patient more than any other They are now borderline flirtatious. Sirius wants to get into Remus' pants and Remus is freaking out about losing his license It all goes to hell when Remus realises he's in love with Sirius fucking Black, the idiot from TMZ headlines. He very honourably informs Regulus that he can no longer treat Sirius Reg lashes out at Sirius for fucking yet another thing up In the meantime, Reg and James' team-up turns into something less about Sirius' health and a lot more about ravishing one another's mouths yay

[pretty-little-mind33]

Ice Hockey James Potter x fem!reader

Summary: You wait for your boyfriend after his game — In the same universe as Suburban Legends

Genre: Fluff <3

Warnings: muggle au, college au, swearing

JAMES POTTER MASTERLIST

You stand in the lobby of the rink, your arms are crossed across your chest and you're cursing yourself for only wearing his jersey instead of something warmer. Still, you smile. How can you mind when you can remember how happy James looked when saw you in the stands?

You pace around, waiting another few minutes until you start to become impatient. All his teammates have left the rink, which is something you know because you've counted each of their high-fives.

You have only been dating James Potter for a month now, but his teammates act like they've already taken you in as one of their own. 

"I didn't think you'd wait for me this long." you hear him. His voice is a little hoarse and he's rotating his shoulder around as he grimaces.

"Is your arm okay?" you ask, standing up and meeting him in the middle of the lobby. He was shoved pretty hard into the plexiglass and you look up at him, concerned. 

His lips curl into a little smirk, "Worried about me, Y/l/n?" He whispers and leans in close.

"As your girlfriend, I feel like if I wasn't worried then we'd have a problem," you chuckle and roll your eyes at his insistence to continue calling you by your last name. He says it's a habit but you're convinced he just likes to see you flustered.

"Come on I'm starving," you take his hand and try to lead him towards the door. 

"Shit," James groans, "I forgot my gloves in the locker room," 

You drop his hand and turn around, crossing your arms. "Are you seriously making me wait for you longer than I already have?" 

He shakes his head with a smile, "No. You're coming with me this time." It's his turn to take your hand and he practically pulls you to the locker rooms. 

"Jamie, slow down," you say.

Suddenly, you're pressed against the wall of the empty hallway as James's arms cage around your head. His hockey bag had fallen onto the ground and he leans his head downwards so that you can look into his eyes. His eyes shine and he's giving you the most obvious, "I wanna to kiss you," pout. 

"What are you doing?" you feign coy behind a laugh as he slides his hands down to the side of your head and cups your cheeks in his hands. He's so close it's incredibly intoxicating.

"Kissing you?"

You smile, nodding, and he leans down to kiss along your neck. His hips press into mine and you think I've finally lost all sensibility. "You drive me insane — you and my fucking jersey," he whispers as his kisses move upwards and his knuckles skim the fabric of his jersey near your breasts.

"You're the one who wanted me have it."

"Yeah, to wear around your dorm—not during my games," he says and his hands climb up the wall again as you look up at him, "If your plan is to distract me when I'm supposed to be paying attention to the game, you should know it's working more than it should…"

You grin and stare at him with wide eyes. You make sure to chew on your lower lip so that you're doing exactly what you know turns him on. "Seems like a misunderstood then," you say, "Still, I didn't think you would have a problem with everyone knowing I'm yours, James." 

Something snaps inside him and that's when he kisses you. 

It's raw and rough, but the way his strong arms wrap around you waist to pull you closer is gentle and you melt into his arms. Wantonly, you run your hand through his hair. The dark brown locks are slightly messy from being under his helmet and when James feels me pull on them, his breath jumps in his throat,

"Everyone already knows you're mine." He whispers and then continues to kiss you.

You pull him even closer and with his good arm, he wraps one of my legs around his hip. You're both so engrossed in our activity you, unfortunately, don't hear footsteps until, James's coach clears his throat,

James stops kissing you and carefully lowers your leg onto the ground. He hides you behind him as you turn around, his cheeks crimson from embarrassment, as you attempt to calm your internal panic. 

"Hey," James says, weirdly casual.

"Rink is closing, Potter. Go home." His coach says and you peek at him from behind James's shoulder. He sees me and sighs, "You too, Y/n."

"Will do, sir." James says. Quickly, he lifts his bag back onto his shoulder and holds your hand. You mumble a small, "sorry" as you walk by his coach but you don't think he hears you considering you can't even bear to look at him. 

Once you're back in the lobby, you bury your head in your hands, "I'm so embarrassed," you groan. James laughs and rubs your shoulders.

You look up at him and frown, "This really isn't funny."  

"Coach doesn't care. I promise." James reassures you.

"Why? Is this not the first time he's caught you kissing someone here?" you ask, sounding more jealous than intended.

James's expression softens and, holding your hips, he pulls you close enough to kiss your forehead, "How many times to I have to promise you I'm not, and have never been, a player?" 

You nod, smiling guiltily, "Yeah, I know. I shouldn't have asked that, I'm sorry."

"Water under the bridge, Y/l/n," James jokes and kisses your temple. He swings his arm around your shoulder, "I remember someone said they were hungry, shall we eat now?" 

"Wait, what about your gloves?"

James grins wolfishly. "Oh, those are in my bag, I just wanted to make out with you."

tags: @mischievousmoony, @sayitlikethecheese, @longlivedelusion, @fangirl-swagg (pretending like i didn't just forget this until now!!)

[evansisasadist]

Marauders characters as who’d they be in a primary school nativity with little explanations:

James: Joseph(he drops the baby Jesus)

Remus: Innkeeper(he cries)

Sirius: Angel Gabriel(makes all the old ladies say “ahh bless him”

Peter: The Donkey(takes his role very seriously)

Marlene: Shepherd(Was too enthusiastic as a sheep)

Lily: Wiseman(enough said)

Mary: Mary(she gives a very emotive performance)

Pandora: Star(she wanted to be a sheep)

Regulus: Cow(cries the whole time)

Dorcas: Wiseman(Again enough said)

Barty: Chicken(spends half of the play looking out the window)

Evan: Sheep(he’s a very happy bunny)

[charlie-jl]

My contribution to @marauderswithpalestineproject

Prompt #227 : “Sirius and Remus meet cute at a yarn shop, muggle au, hea”

I was so excited to see this prompt by BrigidFaye, it was a pleasure to work on!

I wanted to include more of a comic/story aspect where the two of them reach for the same yarn (cliche, ik), so just imagine that happened 🩷

Close ups:

[santaasi]

raison d'être

pairing: james potter x shy!reader

summary: james potter never thought that the most terrible day of his life could give him a new reason for existing

warnings: muggle au, fluff, no use of y/n, english isn’t my first language

word count: 2.3k

a/n: i’m alive!! but i feel like with all my uni and graduating stuff i just lost inspiration. but i promise that very soon there will be more fics! love u all. have a good time readings my new work <з

JAMES POTTER HAS NEVER BEEN A LOSER. On the contrary, his life has always been like an endless lottery win. Ideal and loving parents, who provided him with everything he needed and supported him at every step. Friends who were always there for him even in the worst. A perfect career in sports that was only going uphill every day and promised to take James to new heights. James Potter was a golden boy who always seemed to be surrounded by a halo of luck. In all his twenties, he didn't know what failure and lose were. Troubles avoided him and it was something familiar to him. That's why when everything went wrong on one of the most important days of his life, James was taken aback.

It was one of hundreds of other summer days when the weather in London was pleasing with its sunshine and warmth. And that was the day James Potter overslept for the first time in his life. And it would be fine if he was late for training or a regular meeting about plans for the week, but… James Potter overslept and was late for a meeting with their future sponsors, who would decide the fate of the team and its entry into a more perspective professional league.

But apparently this was not enough for fate (if it ever existed). The fate decided to mock James more by taking all his luck and replacing it with failure. Because as soon as he left the house and got into the car, it didn't start, although last night, when he returned from another get-together with Sirius and Remus at the bar, everything with his car was fine. He had to ride in a completely packed bus, breathing in sweat fumes and feeling someone's elbow dig into his lower ribs. By the time he got to the bus stop, the air in his lungs was starting to run out. And besides all that, James had to walk the long way to the sport base to protect his ass and buy coffee for everyone at the meeting, to pretend that this was what he had planned from the very beginning. It was Sirius's plan, which, to James' great surprise, sounded really good for the first time in what seemed like forever. But instead of going to the usual café on another street, James ran into a new coffee shop, which was right next to the sports base, which decently helped to shorten his time.

A bell rang over James's head as he entered a softly lit, bright space with a couple of tables and guests who were sitting here, working and drinking pleasantly smelling coffee. For a very recently opened place, the coffee shop probably really had a lot of popularity in the area. James covered the distance from the door to the cash desk in a couple of steps and opened a dialogue with Sirius, quickly rattling his order to the barista, whom he did not even deign to look up at.

"’m sorry, could you repeat the order more slowly? This is my first day and..." you whispered softly, biting your lip uncertainly, and James looked up. His gaze is full of anger, which made you swallow a lump in your throat.

You've never been good with people. Large crowds scared you, and even with your close friends you preferred to message rather than call. But when life shook you up and the deadlines for paying for college were already burning, you had to get over your fear and be interviewed at a new coffee shop near your house, where an employee was urgently needed. A week ago, you were over the moon when you were accepted. The job didn't seem difficult and learning the basics of barista work was even interesting, and most importantly, the customers were all friendly. And you even have a hope that working with people won't be so bad. But as soon as you were faced with James Potter's eyes full of irritation, all hope for something good immediately disappeared, replaced by fear and nervousness.

"Or... or I can call another more... experienced specialist..." you began softly, stumbling through the words.

When James Potter entered the café, he was really annoyed because of the plans that didn't go the way he wanted. But as soon as his gaze meet your frightened doe eyes, his face immediately softened and all the emotions that he had experienced before faded into nothing but pure adoration.

You were beautiful. No. You were lovely. You looked like a small frightened deer that has met a hunter in the forest. Innocent. Sweet. Elegant. James Potter didn't know that there were perfect people in this world, but looking at you, he was convinced of it. His world seemed to stop for a second, concentrating only on you and on awkward lowering of your stunning eyes and how you bit your lip and how your thin fingers was nervously fidgeting with the bottom of your apron.

You cleared your throat and said something. James didn't hear it. He was consumed by you. He wanted to get to know you. Beautiful pictures were already playing in James's head, like movie stills of how he would ask you for your phone number and how you would smile and hand him a crumpled tissue, which he would, of course, keep all day as the apple of his eye. He has already imagined your date. How he takes you to one of those silent film festivals that were taking place in London right now. How you will chat for days on end without thinking about anything. How at the end of the evening he will take you home and slightly bending down, the distance between you will be reduced, and then…

As soon as you turned around to leave, James immediately fell out of his fantasies, quickly trying not to let you leave. He reached across the counter and grabbed your wrist, forcing you to pay attention to him again. But as soon as he realized how uncultivated he was by violating your boundaries, he immediately took his hand away, stuffing them into the pockets of his jeans, guiltily lowering his eyes to the floor. It was not typical for James Potter to blush, but he could feel the heat rising up his neck, scorching his cheeks.

"Um... sorry... I-I can repeat the order," James said nervously, and you noticing his change of mood and awkwardness relaxed a little, listening attentively to his order once again.

You quickly handed him the check and asked him to wait next to the pick-up counter, smiling sweetly, which made James's heart skip a beat. He nodded wordlessly and swallowed, still feeling the tingling in his hand where your fingers touched his skin.

Waiting for his order, James couldn't take his eyes off you. Everything in him screamed that he should come up and ask you out or ask for your number, as he had done hundreds of times.… But he couldn't... something was stopping him. And so when his name came off your lips (he didn't think that his own name uttered by someone could make him almost faint) and you handed him a bag with his order, all he could do was whisper a quiet "thank you" and leave the coffee shop without even turning around.

He spent the rest of the day as if in a dream. James was sitting in a meeting trying to concentrate on the important things, but all he could think about was your smile, which made his heart skip a beat. At practice, James was also distracted, as if hearing your sonorous but soft voice everywhere, the memory of which made his body goosebumps.

James Potter spent the whole day in a daze until a bell rang above him and the door closed behind him with a thud. The cafe was empty, the chairs were raised on the tables and the one who completely confused his thoughts stood with her back to him, quietly humming some remotely familiar song playing on the radio. You slowly swayed your hips, moving backwards, mopping the white tile floor until your back hit James's hard chest. You suddenly screamed loudly and turned around, covering your mouth with hand in shock. James ran a nervous hand through his hair and frowned slightly.

"Sorry, I thought you were still working, I came in... to buy something to drink," James quickly rattled on one exhale, meeting your gaze.

You blinked quickly a couple of times, trying to move away from the shock that you experienced from an unexpected meeting with a visitor. In him, you immediately recognized the guy James, whom you first dubbed the last jerk that came to ruin your first working morning, and then you noticed how cute and sweet he was when a blu sh appeared on his cheeks and immediately melted away.

"No, no, we are still working... there were just no visitors and I decided to start cleaning early… But you can order... it's okay," you assured him, giving James a soft smile before turning around and standing behind the counter, putting the mop aside.

James looked at the menu carefully, and then at you. There was silence in the coffee shop for a couple of seconds, and you felt your cheeks start to burn from the piercing gaze of his coffee eyes. You slowly lowered your gaze, trying to hide a silly smile.

"What do you recommend?" clearing his throat, James asked without taking his eyes off you. He wanted to stay in your company as long as possible and get to know you better. At least for a little bit. "What's your favorite drink?"

"Hmm... I'm not a big fan of coffee," you thought, looking over your shoulder at the menu. "That's why I would recommend herbal tea with raspberries and mint..." you nodded, concentrating on the guy standing in front of you again and smiling. "Well, it's also my first day and I'm not sure I can make you a good coffee... so tea would be the safest option," you joked, biting the inside of your cheek.

James laughed hoarsely, throwing his head back and you shyly lowered your head, hiding the blush that became even brighter on your cheeks. James was the epitome of what the perfect man looked like in your fantasies. Slightly curly hair, warm brown eyes that when he smiled seemed to be able to warm the whole world and round glasses that brightened his face and gave him even more charm. Such a handsome guy must have had an equally beautiful girlfriend. You thought, but quickly pushed these thoughts away from you. He was just a client, you shouldn't have worried about these issues.

"Then I'll have tea... yeah... I'll have tea with raspberries and mint," James said, calming down a little, adjusting the rim of his glasses on the bridge of his nose, which had slipped off.

You nodded and turned away, brewing James your favorite tea, making yourself one cup along the way. He was lost in thought again, watching you do your job carefully and with concentration. Your finger was slowly sprinkled with herbs, mixing them with mint leaves and dried raspberries, along the way he noticed how you brought the herbs to your nose, inhaling their fragrance and gently smiled to yourself. You looked more relaxed and peaceful than you did this morning when James scared you with his impetuous words.

"Herbal tea with raspberries and mint for James," you announced the order as if there was someone beside the two of you, and James smiled brightly at you.

His hand lingered on yours for a couple of seconds longer than necessary, and you felt your heart begin to beat faster in your chest. There was not enough air in your lungs, and it was only when James took the cup of tea from your hands that you were able to take a ragged breath that did not pass James by. The guy grinned, sipping a drink from his mug.

"Wow, this is really good! I like it," James said enthusiastically, looking right at you. His brown eyes seemed to look straight into your soul, and you swallowed nervously again, licking your lips, feeling how for a second his gaze dropped just below your eyes.

"Thank you..." James tilted his head slightly to the side, looking at you expectantly.

You said your full name softly, and James seemed to echo it, tasting it. You were quickly caught again, feeling your fluffy eyelashes tickle your cheeks. James shook and lowered his head, trying to hide his spreading grin. Apparently, he was not the only one in this cafe who was fascinated by his interlocutor.

"Well, thank you for the delicious tea. See you tomorrow, love," he winked at you before leaving the cafe.

The endearing name came out of James's mouth so easily that for a second you were taken aback, standing rooted to the spot behind the cash desk with your mouth open, like a fish jumping onto dry land. But at the last moment, a quick goodbye escaped your lips, more like the creak of a door, and the ringing of a bell announced James's departure.

Through the big window, you watched him walk slowly along the street lit by lanterns, smiling like a madman and slowly sipping his tea, and something jumped in your chest.

You put your hand to your chest, feeling your heart beating hard against your rib cage, and then wrapped both hands around your cheeks, which pleasantly cooled your heated skin. And the only thing you could think about, standing in an empty coffee shop, looking at the door through which James came out, was that the barista's job might not have been so bad. At least as long as James appears in front of you, it definitely won't be bad.

And in order to see him again tomorrow, maybe you'll switch shifts with Marlene.

But only 'maybe'.

thankx for reading <3

for the first time in month, I had so much fun writing these one shot. so I hope you enjoyed it too. you can always share your opinion in comments or my inbox :3

- your santi 🪐

masterlist

[mrstellmeafuckingsecret]

sirius black : model.

[mydeadgaywizards]

muggle au james potter would own a skateboard change my mind

[uhhlifeig]

First Pet - Jan. 24th - word count: 215 - @wolfstarmicrofic

“I was out for a week on a business trip and you got us a dog?” Remus asked incredulously. 

“Remus,” Sirius pleaded, looking at him with his best puppy-dog eyes. “Please let me keep him?” He jostled the black puppy in his arms. “I found him on the streets, and…”

“I mean, we’ve been considering a dog for a while,” Remus sighed. “Sure, why not. We can keep him. Do you have a name?”

“I’ve been calling him Snuffles, ‘cause he snoofs at everything,” Sirius grinned, petting the squirming puppy. “You’re such a little snoof, aren’t you?” he cooed.

“Snuffles it is, then,” Remus decided. “I suppose you know what to do with him training-wise?”

“Yep,” Sirius grinned, looking back up at his husband. “I can learn how to train him from some books, don’t worry, Rem.”

“Great. I’m not sure that I want piss-covered books.”

“You won’t have any, I promise,” Sirius grinned, setting the puppy down. Snuffles wobbled over to Remus on unsteady legs and started sniffing his pant leg.

“Aw, aren’t you a cute one?” Remus asked, bending down to pet Snuffles’s head.

Snuffles did his best bark, which came out as more of a whumph instead of a true bark.

"Awww," both Remus and Sirius cooed.

Maybe he'd like this dog.

[ikkyfics]

Deer Plush

James Potter x f!reader

Summary: In which James Potter, determined to impress you, takes on a shooting game at a carnival, all for a deer plush that made you smile.

Warnings: muggle!au, fluffy, est. relationship

Masterlist

The amusement park was wrapped in a golden glow under the late afternoon sun. Laughter echoed all around, mixed with the sounds of the attractions and the vibrant music playing through the speakers. You and James walked side by side, your fingers intertwined as if the touch were the most natural thing in the world. And it was.

You’d already explored practically everything — from the ferris wheel, where he’d joked that the wind was trying to ruin his impeccable hairstyle, to the haunted house, where you offered to hold his hand when James paled after a particularly scary jump scare, and though he didn’t confess his fear, it was clear by the way he squeezed your fingers.

Now, you walked leisurely through the park, laughing and sharing small moments that seemed to exist only between the two of you. It was then that your eyes stopped at a target-shooting booth, and your face lit up. At the top of one of the shelves, a deer plush seemed to wave at you. It was big, with bright, friendly eyes, and something about it immediately enchanted you.

James noticed right away. He always did — how your eyes sparkled at simple things, how your smile could change his whole day. He followed your gaze to the plush and already knew what he had to do.

“Want to try this game?” he asked, already sporting that mischievous smile you knew so well.

“I don’t know if you’re good enough for it, Potter,” you teased, raising an eyebrow, your tone challenging, but the sweetness in your smile made it clear you were enjoying yourself.

“Oh, is that so? I’ll show you that you’re dating the best shooter... at least on the east side of the park.” He laughed, pulling you by the hand toward the booth.

The person running the booth quickly explained the rules, but James was already focused — his blue eyes shining behind his glasses and that determined air he used to display when he wanted to impress you.

The first attempt was disastrous. He aimed, released the ball, and it missed by a mile, hitting the side of the booth with a hollow sound. You covered your mouth with your hand to stifle your laugh, but it escaped anyway, and James turned to you with a mock-indignant expression.

“Laughing at me, huh?”

“A little.”

He laughed along and shook his head but didn’t give up. James had that charming stubbornness of someone who wanted, above all, to make you smile. He grabbed another ball, took a deep breath, and aimed again. This time, he hit one of the smaller targets, but it was still far from the grand prize.

“It’s okay if you want to give up…” you teased, leaning slightly toward him, your voice carrying a playful tone. But as you said this, you couldn’t help but let your gaze linger on him — all focused, his dark hair tousled as if it were part of the sunlight, the glasses sliding slightly down his nose. He pushed them back with his finger, his forehead furrowed in determination, and you felt a comforting warmth in your chest. James had that peculiar ability to make anything seem extraordinary.

He turned to you with that mischievous smile you loved, his blue eyes sparkling behind the lenses.

“Give up? No way. That’s not how this works.”

Before grabbing another ball, he hesitated, tilting his head slightly as he watched you closely. You raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he was plotting.

“Actually...” He stepped closer, reducing the distance between you, and his voice became deliberately casual. “I think I need a little help here.”

“Help?” You tried to sound skeptical, but the softness in his smile melted your defenses before they even had a chance to rise.

“Yes. A good luck kiss.” He leaned in closer, letting the words hang in the air between you, filled with carefree charm.

You felt your cheeks warm and laughed, shaking your head. “Isn’t that a little unfair? Using magic like that against the poor target?”

James placed a hand on his heart, pretending to be indignant. “Unfair would be not giving me the best chance possible, considering I’m doing this for you.”

You rolled your eyes with a smile he knew so well, the one that said you wouldn’t resist much longer. Finally, you stood on your tiptoes, cupped his face with one hand, and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

James sighed dramatically when you pulled away. “I think I can do this now.”

You crossed your arms, feigning impatience. “Let’s see if that kiss was really so miraculous, Potter.”

He picked up the next ball with an expression completely renewed, concentration mixed with a happiness that seemed to radiate from him. But you kept watching, not caring so much about the game. It was the way he slightly furrowed his brow as he aimed, the gleam of excitement when he thought he was close to hitting the target, the way he bit the inside of his cheek in an almost childish gesture. You were so absorbed in him that you almost forgot to pay attention to the moment he launched the ball and hit the target.

The bell rang, and James raised his arms as if he had just won a world championship. He turned to you with the biggest smile in the world, and the heart in your throat only confirmed what you already knew: you were absolutely lost for him.

“I told you!” He walked over to you, holding the plush deer the attendant handed him, but stopped before passing it to you, pulling it close to his chest as if he were already completely attached to the prize.

“James.” You narrowed your eyes, trying to hide the growing smile. “Give it to me.”

He shook his head, his blue eyes gleaming with pure mischief. “I don’t know... I think this little guy already likes me.”

You huffed, but the laugh that escaped your lips betrayed any attempt at seriousness. “Potter, I’m serious. Hand it over.”

He tilted his head, pretending to ponder. “Hmm, I don’t know if I can. He reminds me a lot of someone I know. Charming, impressive, impossible to resist...”

You rolled your eyes and took a step closer, grabbing the deer with a quick motion. He released it without resistance, letting you hug it against your chest, victorious. However, James’s smile didn’t fade.

“Thank you, Jamie,” you said, lowering your eyes to the plush in your arms. It was a simple deer, with large expressive eyes and a curious expression. You hugged it a little tighter, smiling more than you intended.

James crossed his arms and watched you with a satisfied gleam in his eyes. “So? Was it worth all my heroic effort?”

You looked up at him, feeling an inexplicable warmth take over you. “Yeah, it was.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but you continued, the words coming out before you could stop them. “Because it reminds me of you.”

James paused for a moment, clearly caught off guard. His smile softened, and his eyes locked onto you with an intensity that made the world around you disappear. “Reminds you... of me?”

You nodded, squeezing the deer one more time and trying to keep your voice casual, even with your heart beating faster than usual. “Yeah... He’s kind of awkward, but has this adorable way about him, you know? And it’s impossible not to like him.”

He was silent for a moment, but then took a step closer, so close that his warmth seemed to envelop you. “If you think a deer is adorable, then I’m done for.”

You let out a giggle, but didn’t have time to respond because James lowered his head, his lips touching yours in a kiss so sweet and delicate that it felt like it was made of sunlight and the warmth of the moment.

When he pulled away, you saw the smile that always seemed reserved only for you — a smile that made every cell in your body feel special. He took your hand again, intertwining his fingers with yours as if it was the natural place for both of you.

“I’d do all of this again,” he said, squeezing your hand lightly, his eyes never leaving yours. “Because seeing you happy like this is worth every second.”

You looked at him, at his shining eyes, his sincere smile, and knew that James Potter would always be much more than you could have imagined.

And as you walked through the park, with the plush deer firm in your arms and his hand in yours, the world seemed exactly as it should be: perfect, simple, and full of love.

[mischievousmoony]

𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜

⟢ james potter x reader ⟢ your boyfriend walks a drunk you home ⊹ 773 ⟢ warnings/tags: intoxication

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

“Babyyy wait,” you whine, tripping over your own two feet as you walk down the abandoned streets of London.

You lean against the bricks of a random townhouse, swaying slightly. James’ hand, which hasn’t left the small of your back since you two left the bar, presses against you more firmly while his other raises to grip your waist, effectively steadying you in place.

The pair of you are heading home from a long night out with friends. Well into the A.M., James made the decision to bid your friends goodnight when he interrupted a game of ‘who can drink more’ between you and Sirius.

“What is it?” he asks, eyes carefully studying every inch your face as if your expression will reveal all of your thoughts and worries.

“M’shoe’s untied,” you mumble, looking down at your white trainers, scuffed from the way you’ve been kicking your own feet as you stumble home.

James’ eyes follow yours, “Oh, I’m sorry, love,” he murmurs, pressing an affectionate kiss against your temple as his head comes back up. He takes in your surroundings quickly, his eyes landing on the front steps to the townhouse you’re planted against.

“C’mere,” he says, wrapping his arm tightly around your waist to lead you to the stone stairs.

He eases you down on the second step, not before brushing any dirt or debris out of your way, and kneels before you.

James makes quick work of your shoelaces, checking in that he hasn’t drawn them too tightly before he finishes looping them through.

You mumble a complaint at the second tie, changing your mind about the tightness as you uncomfortably wiggle your foot in your shoe. Without a shred of frustration, James unties your shoe and loosens the laces before he starts again.

“How’s that, love?” he asks, his fingers pitter pattering against the firm leather that encases your toes.

You wiggle your foot again before deciding, “Better,” with a pleased smile playing at your lips.

“Alright,” James says, his voice gravely as he pushes himself up into a standing position. He holds both of his hands out to you, “Let’s get you up now.”

You place your hands in his large ones, but just ask he starts to tug you up, your arms go slack.

James breathes out chuckles of amusement. “You’ve got to help me some, love.”

“‘M tired,” you complain, your body following suit as you hang limply from James’ hands.

His eyes are soft as he watches you sink into some strangers front steps. Any other person would probably be quite annoyed trying to usher a drunk you home, but James is filled with nothing but an unwavering adoration for you.

“The sooner we get you up, the sooner we get you in bed,” James says in a lilting, convincing voice.

“Could just sleep here on the pavement,” you decide, your eyes fluttering in a series of exhausted blinks.

If it comes down to it, James would be resolute about carrying you home and letting you sleep in his arms, but he tries one more tactic before resorting to that.

“Think about this, though, if we get you to our warm bed we can wrap ourselves up in our cozy blankets,” his tone remains soft and compelling, “and I’ll get to hold you and run my fingers through that pretty hair.”

You stir at his words, holding onto his hands a bit firmer.

“Yeah?” you wonder.

“Yeah, my love. So, what do you say? Will you let me take you home so I can hold you?” James gives your hands a loving squeeze.

“Mhm,” you hum, your head bobbing in a nod as you finally brace yourself to be lifted.

James bares his teeth triumphantly. “Here we go,” he warns before tugging to you your feet.

You stumble into him, but James is ready to catch you as his arms wrap protectively around your waist.

He arches his upper body away from you so he can get a good look. One of his hands comes to the side of your head to smooth out your hair affectionately, “Ready to keep going?” he asks.

You hum another positive response and James pecks you twice, once on the forehead and then he can’t resist planting another on your lips.

He swivels, pressing his side into yours as his protective arm remains clasped around you, and begins leading you back down the street.

“Let’s get you home now,” he whispers lovingly.

“Where you’ll play with m’hair?” you verify, your drunken words melting together lazily.

His throat rumbles with tender laughter. “Yes, love, where I’ll play with your hair.”

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

[silence-between-seconds]

In marauders era muggle aus if you don't make Regulus save Sirius' contact name as "Rough Draft" then what is the point

[brandileigh2003]

Older wolfstar fic recs: (older in age that is)

let me know what I missed and self recs are welcome (also as always check tags for each one to protect yourself)

~~~please give these authors love, fandom engagement with writers is down and it means more than you know. ~~~

**And I know older is relative term bc most of these wolfstar are in their 30s I do believe. But. They have more life experience than in Hogwarts or uni.

--orange juice (i've been ready for you to come home for so long) by raggedypond: divorced parents of teddy with one bed at his graduation

-Honey If I'm Not by @brigid-faye divergent post war where remus left, jily lived, and wolfstar only reconnects years later by chance. (Also has a Sirius pov)

---used my best colours for your portrait by @littleoldrachel lie low at Lupin's with flashbacks exploring remus' life

-Looking for Moony by Writer_INFJ_2w1: meet and fall in love birthday party

-Flight of Destiny by @lucigoo lesbian wolfstar meet on plane (Luci also has several others where they're older and lots of beautiful fics

--Aging Gracelessly by orphan_account: texting fic

--the mayors of simpleton by fruity_individual divorced wolfstar get back together, raising teddy

-Second Generation by MsAlexWP single parents, getting back together. The sequel is so perfect too! It's a Nice Day for a Wolfstar Wedding

-the sea is a good place to think of the future by peachyybabe (second in series is mcd but this one is open ending)

-Of Memories and Milk Thievery by moonymoment raising teddy, get back together

--Birthday Blues by YouBlitheringIdiot @blitheringmcgonagall :Sirius is turning sixty and he is appalled...

--Give Quarter to Old Men - @krethes series

--dear your holiness by mollymarymarie

--The Postwar Chronicles by @sliebman10 post canon series

-Vigil Strange I Kept by whitmans_kiss explores effects of lycanthropy

--ten reasons (to go to michigan) by @greyeyedmonster-18 remus headed home, trying to move on from divorce

--Prettiest Star Verse by Raging_queer

-I didn’t sign up for this by Moonystoastandmarsbar divorced wolfstar

-Of Protein Powders and PTAs by @squintclover and @tracingpatternswrites rivals to lovers

-An Infinte Ocean by orphan_account raising teddy strangers to lovers

--The Road Not Taken by @mollymarymarie

-extra credit by MsAlexWP rivals to lovers

-Baby On Board by aqua_myosotis

-Of Memories, Bitter and Sweet by MsAlexWP memory loss

**luci's recs

-my love, take care of yourself by littleoldrachel

-How to romance a guy with (terrible) poetry by BayleyWinchester

-Teddy Plays Matchmaker by grow_as_we_go

-The Front Step Surprise by R33sesPieces

**Recs from others** (I haven't read all these yet but wanted to include)

--Just what the doctor ordered by WrappedUp (be aware there is age gap)

--The Lab by de_sire again an age gap

-Till We Have Arrived Home Again by prouvairing divergent post canon raising harry

-The Patchwork of Us by TracingPatterns

-The Things I Did by Lolo_row

-The Phoenix Agency by LupinsChocolatePraline

-The Fall by EuripidesTrousers

-Pages of You by wolfpants this is drarry main but apparently background wolfstar is really good

-Just Like Heaven by the_prettiest_w0lf_star: mechanic Sirius and librarian Remus

-soloorganaas

-impishtubist

***Self rec***

--Memories of You: mcd exploring memory loss

--Through the Years: Sirius thinks about the past and how handsome his husband is while holding their granddaughter.

--DN(R): Lie low at Lupin's era where they discuss decisions Remus made in the lost years.

**also- the wolfstar librarian is always a great resource make sure to give some likes on posts: 30yo and Up part 2 Bring Black Back Back from the Veil Lie Low at Lupin’s Post Azkaban Grimmauld Place

--Feel free to check my other rec lists, as well as the rest of my fics

--also ... This is list of canon divergent fic recs: post-azkaban, bring back black, lie low at lupins. Lots of same fics but I might not have all in both places.

[fae-whispers]

*at a zoo*  Sirius: What are they in for?  Remus: Sirius, this isn't prison.  Sirius: So they can leave?  Remus: No, but-  Sirius, pointing at a meerkat: I bet that one murdered someone.